Panel-board construction



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,452,752

r E. A. OLLEY PANEL BOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed June 13 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l l A TTORNEVS Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN A. OLLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR-TO CROUSE-HINDS COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PANEL-BOARD CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed June 13, 1918.. Serial No. 239,723.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. OnLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Panel-Board Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to panel boards and has for its object a particularly simple and efiicient panel board construction, whereby the circuit carrying parts may be assembled as a unit before the unit is attached to the panelboard base, and whereby the circuit carrying parts are held in juxtaposition.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a panel board construction embodying my invention; the top of the cabinet of the main door and the secondary door and also the top plate for the switches being broken away.

Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views-taken respectively on the planes of lines 2-2, and 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure t is a plan view of the unit composed oithe circuit carrying parts.

This panel boa-rd construction comprises generally feed circuit bars and load circuit bars, circuit controlling devices, as switches, including bases mounted on the bars and mechanically secured thereto, and operating parts extending above the bases, means mechanically secured to the switch bases for spacing and holding the same in juxtaposition and a cover plate secured to said means having holes registering with said operating parts.

1 designates the panel board base, 2 the cabinet in which the base is mounted, this cabinet including the usual lining strips 3 and top 4 having a main door 5 and an auxiliary door 6 in the main door.

7 and 7 are the feed or bus-bars and 8 the load circuit bars. The bars 7, 7 are arranged at a right angle to the bars 8 and the bars 7, 7* and 8 are offset from the base. This arrangement of feed and circuit bars, per se, forms no part of this invention.

9 are switches arranged in pairs and mounted on bars 7 the load circuit bars 8 and on lateral branches 10 of the neutral bus-bar 7 these bases being mechanically secured to the bars 7, 8 and branches of the neutral bar 7 or the offset portions thereof by screws 11, which also electrically connect the terminals of the switches to said bars. The screws 11 have their heads exposed through the open tops of the bases and are hence operable and accessible from the front side of the panel board. The switch bases 9 are supported from" the bus-bars 7 by upward extensions 7", Figs. 1 and 3..

As the' panel board here illustrated is adapted for a three wire system, the bases 9 are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the-neutral bus-bar, that is, one member of each pair is mounted upon, and the terminals thereof electrically connected to, one bar of the load circuit bars 8, one outside bar 7 and one branch '10 of the neutral bar 7 on one side of the neutral bus-bar, and the other member of each pair of the switches is mounted on, and the terminals thereof electrically connected .to the opposite pair of load circuit bars 8, the other arm of said branch- 10 and the other feed circuit bar 7. The pairs of bases are spaced apart also in a direction lengthwise of the bus-bars 7, 7 gbov; the bars 7 and on opposite sides of the The means for spacing the bases 9 and for holding the same in juxtaposition comprises strips or yokes l2 rigidly connecting each pair and a lengthwise strip 13 rigidly connecting the yokes 12. The yokes 12 extend across the tops of the switch bases and are secured by screws 14: to such bases, said screws extending through the bases and into the yokes from the rear sides of the bases 9. The yokes are also provided with suitable holes through which extend operating parts of the switches, as the push buttons 15. The strip 13 extends between the members of the pairs of bases above the neutral bus bar 8, and is secured to the yokes as by screws 16, the yokes being provided with depressions at 17 between the pairs of switch bases 9 and the lengthwise strip 13 is secured to these ofi'sets or de ressions.

The switc es are covered by atop plate 18 which is secured to the spacing means, it being here shown as being secured at two points, as by screws 19, threading into the lengthwise strip 13 at the ends thereof. The spacing means consisting of the yokes 12,

and strips 13, form a frame which respectively holds the conducting members, as the bars 7, 8, and the switches in juxtaposition so that they can be assembled as a unit, and further provides a way by which a: top plate can be secured in position without being attached to the switches. By the use of this frame the holes in the top plate for the push buttons and for the screws which secure the plate to the frame will always come in alinement or in proper position with the push buttons and screw holes in the frame.

The main door 5 is hinged at 20,,to the top wall 4 and covers the space enclosed by the lining strips 3 and when this door is open, parts, as thefuse receptacles 21- on the face of the panel board are accessible. This door is normally locked in position so that it is inaccessible to persons operating the switches. The switches are accessible for this purpose through the door 6, which is of. practically the same extent as the cover plate 18, this door being hinged at 22 to the door 5 and having a suitable handle 23. In order to revent a person who opens the door 6 throug curiosity or otherwise from coming in contact with live parts, or conductors of the panel board, a guard is provided consisting of a plate 24 arranged parallel to and spaced apart from; the top and having an opening .25 in which the plate 18 is located. The plate 24 is carried at opposite margins of the door 5 by flanges 26 and said plate practically covers the space of the panel board on which fuses and live conductor bars are located.

What I claim is:

1. A unit for panel boards comprising bus-bars, load circuit barsand switches for controlling the current through the load circuit bars from the bus-bars to switches includin bases mounted on and mechanically secured to said bars whereby said bars are mechanically connected together by the bases of the switches, and a frame connecting the switch bases to mechanically hold the parts in juxtaposition, in combination with a base, and means for securing a portion of the busbars and the load circuit bars tp the base, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A unit for panel boards comprising bus-bars and load circuit bars arranged at an angle to each other and having end portions and offset intermediate portions, switches for controlling the flow of current through the load circuit bars, the switches being mounted upon the ofiset the bus-bars and the load circuit bars and being mechanicall secured thereto, and a frame secured to t e bases of the switches to hold the switch bases and the bars mechani cally connected thereto in juxtapom'tion, in combination with a base and means for sertions of curing the end portions of said bars to the base, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A panel board comprising a base, feed circuit bars, load circuit bars, current controlling devices including bases mounted on, and mechanically connected to, said bars, and means for mechanically connecting and spacing said bases, whereby the feed and load circuit conductors and the current controlling devices constitute a unit, and means for securing said bars to the panel board base, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l. In a panel board construction, feed bars, load circuit bars, current controlling devices including bases mounted in pairs onsaid bars and mechanically secured thereto, a spacing strip rigidly connected to the bases of each pair and a second spacing strip connecting the former spacing strips, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a panel board, feed bars and load circuit bars, current controlling devices including bases mounted on and mechanically secured to said bars and movable operating parts projecting above the bases, means for spacing and securing together a plurality of said bases and a cover plate secured to the spacing means and having'holes through whlch the operating parts extend, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a panel board, feed bars and load circuit bars, a pair of current controlling devices including bases mounted on the bars and mechanically secured thereto, and operating parts extending above the bases, means for spacing the devices of each pair, and a cover plate carried by the spacing means and having holes through which the operating parts are exposed, substantially as.

and for the purpose described.

7. A panel board comprising feed bars and load circuit bars, current controlling devices including bases mounted on the bars-and mechanically secured thereto, and yokes extending across the upper faces of the bases and rigidly secured thereto, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. A panel board comprising feed bars and load circuit bars, current controlling devices including bases mounted on the bars and mechanically secured thereto, a yoke extending across the upper faces of the switchbases and rigidly secured thereto, and a cover plate for the switches secured to the yoke, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. in a panel board, feed bars, load circuit bars, current controlling devices including bases mounted on the bars and mechanically connected thereto, the bases being arranged in pairs, a holding member connecting the bases of each pair of devices and extending across the tops of said bases, a holding membe r connecting the former members and extending between the bases of the devices of each pair, substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. In a panel board, feed bars, load circuit bars, current controlling devices including bases mounted on the bars and mechanically connected thereto, and operating parts extending above the bases, the devices being arranged in pairs, a strip connecting the bases of each pair and extending across the tops of said bases, a second strip connecting the former strip and extending between the bases of the devices of each pair, and a cover plate for the devices secured to the second strip, and having holes through which the operating parts extend, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. In a panel board, a base, a cabinet having a top. including a door, circuit controlling devices within the cabinet and opposed to the door and having operating parts exposed when the door is open, and a guard comp-rising a plate, carried by and spaced apart from the top and arranged substantially parallel thereto and arranged between the door opening and the edges of the top and thereby covering the area of the base around the circuit controlling devices, and the space below the margins of the top around the door opening, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed in name at Syracuse, in the count of Onon aga, and State of New York, this 16th day of May, 1918.

EDWIN A. OLLEY. 

